Claim OwnershipHow I Invest with David Weisburd
Subscribed: 6,403Played: 6,247,956
Subscribe
© Copyright 2025 How I Invest with David Weisburd
Description
How I Invest with David Weisburd is a podcast that interviews the world's leading institutional investors. Previous guests include The Ford Foundation, Northwestern University Endowment, CalPERS, Stepstone, and other top limited partners.
235 Episodes
Reverse
How do you train the next generation of allocators—and what separates elite investment offices from the rest?
In this episode, I speak with Alex Ambroz, Founder and CEO of the Allocator Training Institute, whose mission is to professionalize allocator education. Alex has spent his career building and leading investment teams across Morgan Creek, J.P. Morgan, Cleveland Clinic, Aberdeen, and now as the founder of Allocator Training Institute.
We dive into the evolution of the endowment model, how allocators detect hidden risk, the difference between true alpha and disguised beta, and why collaboration—not competition—is the secret to better portfolio outcomes. Alex also explains how today’s top allocators use data, relationships, and operational excellence to stay ahead of market shifts.
What separates the good investors from the great ones?
In this 2nd solo episode, David Weisburd shares the three rules that every world-class investor follows—rules that have nothing to do with IQ, luck, or access, and everything to do with how they think, use time, and define their game.
Drawing on hundreds of private conversations with elite fund managers, David breaks down why consistency is overrated, how to buy back your time, and why clarity about your “game” might be the biggest competitive edge of all.
If you’re an investor, founder, or builder looking to sharpen your mental model, this episode offers a rare inside look at the mindset of the best in the business.
What happens when an investor treats crypto like software infrastructure, not speculation?
In this episode, I sit down with Avichal Garg, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Electric Capital, to unpack the evolution of crypto investing—from speculative hype cycles to infrastructure that powers the next era of the internet.
Avichal explains how Electric Capital measures developer activity across blockchain ecosystems, why he believes the next trillion-dollar opportunities are being built quietly by open-source engineers, and how software-based incentives will transform everything from finance to governance.
We discuss the reality of investing through crypto winters, the rise of modular blockchains, the lessons learned from building at Google and Facebook, and how AI and decentralization are beginning to converge.
How do you build trust in an industry that’s built on auctions and price maximization?
In this episode, I speak with Melvin Hibberd, Chief Investment Officer of Hunter Point Capital, about how the firm is redefining GP stakes investing through proprietary partnerships, structural creativity, and long-term alignment.
Melvin takes us inside the evolution of GP stakes—from his pioneering work at Blackstone Strategic Partners to launching Hunter Point—and shares how he avoids auction dynamics that distort relationships, what truly drives alignment between investors and GPs, and why patience, not speed, builds lasting value.
We cover everything from bespoke deal structuring and evergreen capital to portfolio construction, procurement savings, and the next phase of mid-market growth. This conversation is a masterclass in how to partner with GPs the right way.
David Weisburd had a chance to witness live the conversation between Jack Kokko, Founder & CEO of AlphaSense, and Lloyd Blankfein, former Chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs, during AlphaSummit 2025 in New York City.
In this wide-ranging discussion, Jack draws out Lloyd’s reflections on his early years in Brooklyn, his path to leading Goldman Sachs, and the lessons learned from steering the firm through periods of volatility and transformation. Together they explore how leadership, risk, and technology continue to shape Wall Street—and what it takes to stay adaptable in an ever-changing world.
How do you invest when it’s “too early for data”—but just right for conviction?
In this episode, I speak with Vivek Ladsariya, Managing Director at Pioneer Square Labs (PSL), about what it really takes to back founders before traction, before funding rounds, and sometimes even before incorporation.
Vivek shares how he partners with founders as a thought partner instead of a coach, why iteration trumps ideas, and how efficiency and automation have rewritten what it means to earn a Series A today. From early-stage pattern recognition to AI-driven productivity and new definitions of founder resilience, this conversation is a masterclass in what “being early” actually means in 2025
How does an $8B venture platform turn a 650-fund network into a repeatable co-investing edge?
In this episode, Jonathan Roosevelt, Managing Director at Industry Ventures, explains how the firm evolved from a pioneer in venture secondaries into a platform combining secondaries, co-investments (directs), fund-of-funds, and tech buyout—with AUM “a little over $8B” and 25+ years in market. We break down why Series A/B/C co-investing requires a different lens than seed, how believability guides which GPs get a “stamp” for later-stage deals, and why customer calls are ground truth when underwriting mid-stage businesses. Jonathan also shares how asymmetric information and inflection points create true co-invest alpha—and when to ignore comps for N-of-1 companies.
What if the U.S. dollar’s dominance has already ended—and we’re just living through the lag?
In this episode, I sit down with Balaji Srinivasan, one of the most original thinkers in technology and finance, to unpack his boldest prediction yet: the death of the dollar and the rise of a digital, decentralized global economy.
Balaji explains how inflation, weaponized finance, and technological sovereignty are accelerating a massive shift away from traditional monetary systems—and why crypto, AI, and network states could define the next reserve paradigm.
We go deep into why he believes the internet will replace the nation-state, how founders can build parallel institutions from scratch, and why opting out—not lobbying—is the only path forward.
This is not a doomsday take. It’s a blueprint for builders who believe the future is already here.
What happens when one of tech’s best community builders turns his playbook on venture capital itself?
Ryan Hoover — the founder of Product Hunt and Investor at Weekend Fund — joins me to unpack how he’s reinventing early-stage investing. From building one of the internet’s biggest startup communities to managing a fund with 360+ LPs, Ryan shares the hard-won lessons on productizing VC, scaling systems as an introvert, and finding founders who hold true “earned secrets.”
We dive into his journey from launching Product Hunt to building Weekend Fund’s third vehicle, how he thinks about portfolio construction, why weird ideas often win, and what it really takes to back the next generation of breakout founders.
Whether you’re a founder, operator, or investor — this episode is packed with insights on scaling yourself, spotting alpha before it’s obvious, and turning community into competitive advantage.
Why are Institutional Investors betting big on Private Markets?
Franklin Templeton oversees more than $1.6 trillion in assets, with over $260 billion dedicated to private markets. But what’s driving this massive shift — and how are the world’s largest allocators navigating liquidity, valuations, and the next era of private credit?
In this episode, I speak with John Ivanac, Head of U.S. Institutional Alternatives at Franklin Templeton, to uncover how the firm is positioning itself for the next decade of alternative investments. We explore the evolution of private markets post-GFC, the consolidation wave among asset owners, and why liquidity, governance, and strategy selection are becoming more critical than ever.
John also shares his perspective on Franklin’s acquisition strategy, how they integrate firms like Lexington Partners and Benefit Street Partners, and what it truly means to be a “trusted partner” to LPs in an increasingly complex market.
Can a $324.3 billion wealth manager reinvent how high-net-worth investors access private markets?
In this episode, I speak with Robert Picard, Head of Alternative Investments at Hightower Advisors, who is leading one of the industry’s most ambitious expansions into private markets. We discuss how Hightower is bringing institutional-grade research, access, and due diligence to individual investors, what the NEPC acquisition means for its alternatives platform, and how technology and AI are reshaping the way portfolios are built.
Robert also shares lessons from more than 35 years of building multi-billion-dollar alternative platforms atThe Carlyle Group/Rock Creek, Optima Fund Management, RBC Capital Markets and State Street/InfraHedge, and explains why the future of wealth management will look more like an endowment model than ever before.
If “fixed income is broken,” what are investors actually missing—and how should they rebuild the 40% to protect and compound through drawdowns?
In this episode, I speak with Thomas E. Swaney II, former Chief Investment Officer of Global Fixed Income at Northern Trust Asset Management, who oversaw more than $600 billion across global fixed income. Thomas explains why traditional bond allocations fail when it matters most, how to separate duration from credit risk, and how to use notional leverage to target true diversification without sacrificing liquidity. We explore the structural flaws in 60/40, how to design a fixed income portfolio that actually offsets equity drawdowns, and why the future of bond investing depends on better risk budgeting—not higher yield.
What are the real playbooks behind managing an $86B alternative asset platform—and where do the next decade’s returns actually come from?
In this episode, I sit down with Payton Brooks, Managing Director on Future Standard’s Primary Investments team, to unpack the operating system behind a multi-strategy LP: how a combined platform serves both institutions and the wealth channel, why mid-market private equity still offers the best shot at alpha, and how evergreen structures can reduce cash drag while preserving optionality. We cover sourcing (spinouts, emerging managers), what great GPs do in downturns, the co-invest / secondaries / credit toolkit, and the partnership behaviors that earn re-ups across multiple fund cycles.
Why do ~90% of first-time managers fail before Fund II/III—and what separates durable fund builders from good investors?
In this episode, I unpack that question with Conrad Shang, Founder & Managing Partner at Ensemble VC. We examine why being a great investor is necessary but not sufficient to be a great fund manager, how to build for durability across cycles, and the partnership practices that earn long-term LP trust. Conrad shares lessons from UTIMCO, Norwest, and Bain Capital Ventures; why sometimes the hardest move is sitting out frothy markets; and how Ensemble uses a team-first lens and internal data products to focus time on the few opportunities that matter. We also discuss defense tech’s shift from “taboo” to mainstream, and why communication cadence and transparency determine who survives the first four to five years—when most managers wash out.
What really happens inside the hidden world of family offices—and why do they invest so differently from institutions?
In this episode, I explore that question with Sid Malhotra, Chief Investment Officer at Kactus Capital, a single family office. Sid reveals how family offices align incentives between principals and investment teams, the advantages of having true “skin in the game,” and why their long-term, absolute-return mindset stands apart from pensions, endowments, and foundations. We also discuss the unique strategic role family offices play—from backing zero-to-one opportunities to leveraging deep sector expertise and networks—and how Sid’s career path, from Citadel to Pritzker Group to his current role, shaped his approach to risk, alignment, and building resilient portfolios.
Why is up to “$150 trillion” poised to migrate from public to private markets—and what will unlock that shift for RIAs and family offices?
In this episode, I examine that question with David Sawyer, CEO & Co-Founder of Unlimited.ai. We unpack the real blockers to alternatives adoption—operational, reporting, diligence, and liquidity complexity—and how AI can turn PDFs and siloed portals into queryable, decision-ready data for LPs. We talk RIA psychology, the GP/LP information asymmetry, and why solving “complexity” is the catalyst for the public-to-private transition cited by industry leaders (including the oft-quoted $150T prediction).
How do you underwrite pre-seed founders when the only durable asset is the human—before there’s product-market fit?
In this episode, I go deep with Mike Ma, Managing Partner at Sidecut Ventures, on his 30-day “work-alongside” diligence, why he optimizes for action-oriented self-awareness, and how to calibrate coachability—especially in go-to-market—without overfitting to investor bias. We unpack earned secrets, impact theses in education, climate, healthcare, and economic mobility, solo-GP advantages, alignment pitfalls from 2021-era rounds, and the mindset habits he wishes he’d had earlier: “write at a fourth-grade level” and “document your screw-ups.”
How can families preserve wealth and well-being across five or more generations?
In this episode, I dive deep into a conversation with James E. “Jay” Hughes, Jr., legendary family wealth advisor and author of five influential books including Family Wealth. Jay shares stories from advising families for over 50 years—why flourishing, not just financial returns, is the real measure of wealth; how families like the Rothschilds and Fords illustrate both triumph and tragedy; and why choosing trustees wisely may be the single most important decision for multi-generational continuity. We explore governance, purpose, philanthropy, Aristotle’s philosophy of flourishing societies, and Jay’s own midlife realization that the true professional question is not “what do you need?” but “how can I help?”
How should a public pension build an active equity and absolute-return program—without diluting alpha or chasing the “hot” manager?
In this episode, I go deep with Brian Miller, Senior Investment Officer at the Sacramento County Employees’ Retirement System (SCERS), on constructing a $6B public-equity book inside a ~$15B plan, sizing managers, and using absolute-return strategies as true diversifiers. Brian reflects on 16 years at Tukman Grossman Capital Management (value, long-term compounding, and staying consistent), the realities of “LP capture” across cycles, and why tracking error isn’t the right risk lens. We unpack manager due diligence (including on-site visits), active vs. passive trade-offs, the global/US mix, and how SCERS uses MSCI Caissa for whole-portfolio visibility.
How can continuation vehicles and independent sponsors unlock structural alpha in private equity when traditional buyouts are struggling with low DPI?
In this episode, I go deep with Paul Cohn, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Agility Equity Partners, on why continuation vehicles (CVs) and independent sponsor deals are reshaping the buyout landscape. Paul explains how CVs let GPs hold their best companies longer while still providing LP liquidity, why the lower middle market offers outsized return potential, and what makes independent sponsors a fast-growing segment of private equity. We cover alignment dynamics, incentives, real-world deal structures, the findings from the HEC Paris study on CVs, and the lessons Paul has learned over 15+ years investing in this niche.
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store
United States
No two spaces are the same. That’s why Bottom Line Cleaning Services offers personalized cleaning plans based on your property’s needs, size, and schedule. Whether you need service once a month or every day, they’re ready to design the right plan for you. https://bottomlinecleaningservices.com/
I absolutely love tuning into 'The 10X Capital Podcast'! The insights and strategies shared are incredibly valuable for anyone looking to elevate their investment game and business acumen. https://medium.com/@CustomPizzaBoxes Each episode is packed with actionable advice and thought-provoking content that consistently delivers real-world impact. The hosts do a fantastic job of breaking down complex topics into digestible and engaging conversations. Highly recommend for anyone serious about achieving 10X growth in their ventures!
I can barely hear one side and the other is 20x louder
I absolutely love tuning into 'The 10X Capital Podcast'! The insights and strategies shared on this show are incredibly valuable for anyone looking to level up their investing game. The hosts have a knack for breaking down complex concepts into actionable advice that's easy to understand. https://www.thomasnet.com/profile/30982718/sticker-printing-pros.html